Clutch mechanism for washing machines



,. 1,629,763 M 1927 o. B. WOODROW CLUTCH MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES Original Filed April V13. 1925 Patented May 24, 1927.

UNITED STATES OLIVER n. woonnomor NEWTON, IOWA.

CLUTCH MECHANISM-FOR WASHING MACHINES.

Original application filed April '13, 1925, Serial No. 22,797. Divided and this application filed November 2, 1925. Serial No. 66,349. I q

The object of my invention is to provide a clutch mechanism of simple, durable and inexpensive construction which is particularly adapted to be used in connection with a washing machine having means for actuating the washing machine proper and also for actuating'a -wringer,said clutch mechanism being adapted to operate one ofthese mechanisms independently, of the other, and is a divisional application of my co-pending application for Letters Patent on a driving mechanism for washing machines, filed April 13, 1925, Serial Number 22,797.

More specifically it is my object'to provide a mechanism of this class in which the parts most subject to'wear are grouped and assembled in a small space and all contained within a gear case which may be filled with oil so that said working partsrun .continug ously in oil with obviously adyantageous.

results; v v

r A further object is to provide an improved clutch device as one of the units of said mechanism and designed to be contained within said gear case'and immersed in oil, which clutch mechanism s of simple, durable and. inexpensive'construction and utilizes the oil itself to mechanically retard the gripping action of the clutch. My invention consists in the construction,

arrangement and combination ,of the various parts of the device,

whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my cliiims, and illustrated'in the accompanying. I j

v tion in clutching engagement with the clutch drawings, in which Figure 1 is a. central, vertical, sectional view of my improved device.

. Figure '2 1s view taken on the line 2'2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3-is a detail sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figurel. v I

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

' I have used the reference numeral 151 to indicate a gear casing supported by means of frame members not shown;

7 gear casing is indicated generally by the numeral 17, and is secured to a circular angle bar'14 alsorigidly secured to por-tingfra1ne for thefgear casinglfi. v The gearrcasing 15 is designedtocarry a drive shaft 21 ion 22 on'its end within the gear casing.

Extending vertically through the gear case is a wringer drive shaftj23 havingat an enlarged, detail, sectional.

Thetop of the the supc which has a beveled driving, pin-- clutch flange member 29, and at the lower end of the member 29 is a flange extended outwardly and then upwardly at 30, thus formlng a substantially V-shaped groove,.

both adjacentfaces of whichprovide clutchin}; surfaces for the mating clutch member.

This flange is formed at its bottom with oil passageways 31 andat the outer upper portion of the flange there is formed a bevel ear 32, the latter being arranged in mesh with the bevel pinion 22.

The coacting clutch member comprises a body portion 33 loosely mounted upon the shaft 23 above the clutch member 29. This body portion 33 is formed at its upper end with a gear wheel 34 and at its lower end it is formed with an outwardly extended flange 35 above the oil passageways 28, and also with a downwardly extended conical clutch member36 shaped to coact with the to enter conical clutch member 29 and, also the space between the parts 29 and 30, and when in its lower position it tightly fits both adjacent faces of the parts 29 and 30, and forms clutching contact therewith. This clutch member 36 is yieldingly held in posimember 29 by a coil spring37 interposed I between thecentral portion of the gear wheel 34k at its lower end and a washer 38 at its upper end, which washer bears against the gear case cover 17 through which the shaft 23 is projected.

Formed in the central portion of the clutch member 331s an annular groove 39 into which is projected an. arm 40 fixedto a I,

shaft 41 which is slidingly mounted in the gear case'cover 17, and it serves the purpose shaftkllzpreferably comprises a stationary bracket 42 mounted on thetubular housing lid-for the shaft 23. This bracket 42 is pref-' erably provided with a' stationary cam such elevated position.

coil spring at its lower end engaging thebracket 42 at its top, and alsoengaging a washer 46 at its bottom, whlch washer 1s secured by a pin 4:? to theshaft' 41, thus tending to yieldingly hold the shaft 11 at its" downward limit of movement Rotatively mounted upon the shaft a lever 18 having a circular head 49 surrounding the upperend of the shaft 41 and also having a tam shaped flange entending downwardly and designed to engage and coact with the can shaped lug The shaft 41 is held normally, by the spring 1-5, at its'downward' limit of movement, but when this lever 48"is moved laterally in either direction, the cam 50, traveling upon the cam'da,elevates 'the shaft 11 against pressure of the sp ring l-o and holds it in Rotatively mounted within the gear case is the upright drive shaft 51 for the was'hing machine. This drive shaftis mounted withits lower end in a thrust rollerbearing [flat the lower 'part of the gear case, and with its upper end in a roller bearing 53 in the gear case cover. portion within the gear case is a gear wheel 54 in mesh with'the gear "wheel 3 1, andthese gear wheels are of such relatii e'size that they willalways remain in mesh when the gear wheel34lis eitherin its elevatedor its lowered position. preferably firmly fixed to'the shaft 51 by pins 561 Fin'ed to the upper enact the shaft 51 above the gear case 15 is a short crank 57 connected by a pitman '58, saidpitm'an being designed to operatethe washing machine agitator.

In practical use attention is calledto the fact that with my improved construction and arrangement of parts, all of the gear devices, andthe clutch for transmitting power from the drive shaft 21 to either'tlie' wringer drive shaft 23 or the washing machine drive shaft 51, are contained within a tightly enclosed gear case, which is filled with oil so that all' these parts are constantly lubricated. and the oil prevented from working out of the gear case in such a manner as might come in contact with the garmentsbeing used in connection with the washing machine.

nected with, the: stationary frame of the machine, in that the lower end of the gear case is securely fixed tea lower stationary frame member and the upper end of the firmly fixed to the frame mem-' with the integral gears on 'each ofthen'iftogether with the co-operatingparts thereof, is highly advantageous 111 a structure of'this' ll is Fixed to itscentral The gear wheel 54'isj' Furthermore, v the gear case itselfforfns a part of,and 1s firmly concharacter. ith my improvedconstruction the main drive shaft 21 constantly rotates the wrlnger shaft 23 through the gears 22 and 32.- This gear 32 is formed as an integial part of the lower clutch member, which in turn is fiXed to the shaft 23, thus male ing an extremely simple, durable and efficient means'for driving the shaft 23, but in addition to its function of driving the shaft 23, the gear 32 is formed with a clutch nenr ber, which clutch member ismachined in such a manneras to be accuratelycentered relative to the gear 32. -'ihe upper clutch member is formed with a clutch device to want with the lower clutch member, and is also formed with "an integral gear wheel 34 to drive the washing machine operating shalt 51', and by this arra'ngei'nent the drivinfg mechanism forthe washing machine is extremely "simple, durable and efficient in construction, regardless of the clutch element. In" other words, asimple, durable and efficient clutching mechanism is provided'inthe combination, without the addition of any separate'parts that are liable to get out of alinement, or that need separate bearings and attachments; and furthermore all o'fjsaid working parts are closely assembled and constaiitly'run in oil in the same gear case.

In addition to the foregoing advantages, my improved clutchelement of itself is-a very efii'cient structure. When immersed in oil, and assumingthafithe upper clutch member "is elevated out of working engagement to be'connected to, say for instance, a tub full of Water and clothes, and which requires a relatively great initial force 111 order to start it, then the operator moves the upper clutch member downwardly. W'hen sodoing the oil, that is contained between the part 27 of the'lower clutch memberi and the adjacent part of the upper clutch member, is slowly forced out through the openings 28 and in addition to this the oil, that is; containedwithin the cup shaped flange of the lower clutch member, will be slowly driven out'through'fithe openings 31 in the lowerclutch member by the clutching flange 36 of theupperclutch-member.

It 'is" obvious that in the event that there was no oil in thegear case, and the upper clutch member; was-moved rapidly downwar'dly,i't would quickly assume a clutched condition wi'tlirelation to'the lower clutch member,. and a heavy overload avould instant'ly be thrown on the electric motor or other prime mover with obviously disastrous results. However, by means of; this retarding action; of: theoil it is obvious that whe'n'the upper clutch member approaches gripping contact with the lower clutch member, it will reach first a relatively slight driving engagement with the lower clutch member, and this driving engagement will increase in intensity for a considerable period, depending on the size of the oil discharge openings until finally a complete clutch engagement has been attained, and during'this time that has elapsed from the time when the clutch is only slightly in engagement until full clutching engagement has been attained, the load of the washing machine will have been gradually started and will slowly reach its maxlmum load without subject:

ing the electric motor to undue strains for starting purposes.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination of a shaft, a conical clutch member fixed to the shaft, said clutch member beyond its clutching face being extended outwardly and then vergent from the working face of the clutch member, a second clutch member slidingly mounted on the shaft and having a substantially conical shaped Working face to coact with the working face of the first named clutch member, a casing in which said parts are contained, said casing being designed to also contain oil, said fixed clutch member beat an angle slightly diing-formed with oil passageways, whereby when the sli-din clutch member is moved toward the fixed clutch member, oil contained between the sliding clutch member and the fixed clutch member will be forced out through said openings and the clutching action retarded thereby.

2. In a clutch of the class described, the combination of a case capable of retaining oil, a shaft rotatively mounted in said case, a clutch member fixed to the shaft and formed with a clutching flange having a substantially V-shaped circular groove and having openings formed near the apex of said V-shaped groove, member slidingly mounted on the shaft and having a flange designed to enter said V- shaped groove, and when at one limit of its movement form a clutching contact with said V-shaped groove, said parts being so arranged that when oil is supplied within the case the clutching action will be retarded during the time that oil is being through said openings, said clutch members having substantially flat faces between their body portions, one of which is provided with openings for the passage of oil during the movement toward clutching position.

OLIVER B. WOODROW.

a coacting clutch formed in it,

forced out 

